Airport
Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
IATA Code: YULLocation: The airport is located 15 miles (24km) west of Montréal.
Time: GMT -5 (GMT -4 from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November).
Contacts: Tel: +1 (514) 394 7377.
Transfer to the city: There is an airport shuttle bus service into the centre of Montreal and to the major downtown hotels. The shuttle bus also transfers passengers between Montréal-Mirabel and Montréal-Trudeau airports, taking about 45 minutes. Taxis are also readily available.
Taxis: Metered taxis are also readily available and can be found waiting outside the baggage reclaim area on the ground level. The main taxi companies operating from the airport are Taxi Diamond (514) 273 6331, Taxi Champlain (514) 273 2435, Taxi Expert (514) 374 7171 and Co-Op Taxi (514) 636 6666. The usual charge for metered taxis is an initial charge of $3.15, then $1.45 for each extra kilometre. There is a minimum charge for a trip from the airport $15.
Car rental: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Hertz, National and Thrifty are represented on site.
Facilities: The Departures level offers ATMs and bureaux de change as well as duty-free and other shops. A variety of restaurants, bars and cafes, and shops are available on both levels and wireless Internet access is available from anywhere in the terminal. Business facilities are available in the VIP lounge. Disabled travellers are well catered for; passengers with special needs should contact their airline in advance.
Parking: Short-term parking is adjacent to the airport, long-term is a few minutes away and is served by a regular shuttle bus. Valet parking is also available; the reception area is next to the terminal.
Departure tax: None.
Website: www.admtl.com
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Montreal
The world's largest inland port, Montreal was founded as a missionary village in 1642, a century after Jacques Cartier discovered the area. The French stayed in control of the growing settlement until 1760 when the British stepped in, sparking a now centuries-old French resentment of the British interference. Despite some undeniable English architectural and cultural influences, Montreal is today one of the world's largest French-speaking cities, set on an overwhelmingly English-speaking continent, and a metropolis of international repute, framed between Mont Royal and the St Lawrence River.
The city is in the south of Canada's Quebec province, only 37 miles (60km) from the United States border, and is an important hub of North American trade. It is a spacious, beautiful city characterised by a series of underground shopping and recreation complexes, linked by walkways and the metro. This subterranean city contains more than 18.5 miles (30km) of office and apartment complexes, major stores, hotels, restaurants, metro stations, parking garages, movie theatres, concert halls and more, all snugly accessible during the snowy winters.
Its population is a multicultural mix, which has fostered a vibrant cultural life, cemented by its French and British roots. There are several theatres offering year-round theatre, ballet and music performances, and a number of art galleries and museums. Like most Canadian cities, Montreal has interspersed urban development with green areas. In this case pride is taken by the spacious Parc du Mont-Royal, designed by Frederic Olmsted, the American landscape artist who also designed Central Park in New York. The city also has 30 museums and numerous other attractions of interest to visitors all year round.
